Faujasite zeolite Y synthesized from natural white clay for the adsorptive removal of amoxicillin from wastewater
摘要
Faujasite-type zeolite Y was synthesized from natural white clay collected in Bouda (southwestern Algeria) using a hydrothermal method with sodium hydroxide. Structural and textural characterization by XRD, FT-IR, SEM–EDS, and BET analyses confirmed the successful formation of highly crystalline zeolite Y with a specific surface area of 204 m2 g⁻1, compared to 65 m2 g⁻1 for the raw clay. The adsorption performance of the synthesized zeolite toward amoxicillin in aqueous solution was investigated as a function of contact time, pH, temperature, and adsorbent dose. Kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-first-order model, while equilibrium data followed the Langmuir and Sips isotherms, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 126.5 mg g⁻1 at 10 °C and neutral pH. Thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of clay-derived zeolite Y as an adsorbent for amoxicillin removal from water.